Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our program. The Houston Methodist Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Program of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery is designed to train vascular surgeons so that they can provide personalized, comprehensive surgical care of the highest quality, and become eligible for the Primary Certificate in Vascular Surgery. We have a long tradition as leaders in vascular surgery through the efforts of Drs. Michael DeBakey and Stanley Crawford and are the first and largest accredited integrated residency program in Texas. Our faculty members are recognized both locally and nationally as leaders in the field of vascular surgery.

 

The five-year program is designed to provide trainees with a comprehensive core surgical experience at Houston Methodist Hospital. Residents rotate on the vascular surgery services of Houston Methodist Hospital and several community-based Houston Methodist hospitals. Our program offers an unparalleled clinical volume, dedication to mentorship, and a commitment to developing skilled clinicians. Our residents work with both vascular surgery faculty as well as cardiac surgery faculty, leading to a more robust operative experience. The research focus of our department includes industry sponsored trials, investigational devices, and basic science. Although a dedicated research year is not required, research is encouraged and those with research interests are supported. Our residents are exposed to a wide variety of vascular pathologies and leave the program with a rich open and endovascular experience. We pride ourselves in having equal clinical volume between open and endovascular procedures. Graduates are well prepared to confidently manage and treat the totality of vascular pathologies including those of arterial, venous and lymphatic systems. Our graduates complete their training with confidence in their surgical and clinical abilities and have succeeded in both academic and private practices.

 

29

Active Clinical Trials

6,225

CV Surgeries Annually 

$12.5M

in Grant Funding

86

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2024

Curriculum

  • Curriculum
  • Research
  • Pre-intern Bootcamp
  • Weekly Didactics and Conferences
  • Vascular Surgical Training Association of Houston (VaSTAH)
  • Vascular Surgery Workshops
  • Cardiovascular Fellows' Bootcamp
  • Pumps & Pipes
  • DeBakey Cardiovascular Education
  • Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, & Education (MITIE)
  • Curriculum

    Curriculum

    PGY-1

    Rotation Duration
    Vascular 4 months
    STICU (Hermann) 1 month
    Trauma (Hermann) 1 month
    Acute Care Surgery 1 month
    General Surgery Nights 1 month
    Plastics 1 month
    Anesthesia 1 month
    Ultrasound 1 month
    Podiatry 1 month

     

    PGY-2

    Rotation Duration
    Vascular 4 months
    Acute Care Surgery 1 month
    Surgical Oncology 1 month
    General Surgery (Sugar Land) 1 month
    SICU (Day and Night) 2 month
    Trauma (Hermann) 1 month
    Thoracic Surgery 1 month
    Transplant 1 month

     

    PGY-3

    Rotation Duration
    Vascular (Baytown) 4 months
    Vascular (Sugar Land) 4 months
    Vascular 2 months
    Transplant 1 month
    Neuro IR 1 month

     

    PGY-4

    Rotation Duration
    Vascular 7 months
    Vascular (Baytown) 1 month
    Vascular (Sugar Land) 1 month
    Elective 1 month
    Cardiac Surgery 1 month
    Trauma (Hermann) 1 month

     

    PGY-5

    Rotation Duration
    Vascular 11 months
    Elective 1 month

    *For residents interested in research, a dedicated research year can be incorporated into the curriculum.

    *For residents interested in research, a dedicated research year can be incorporated into the curriculum.

  • Research

    Research

    Residents at all levels of training are encouraged to actively engage in research endeavors. Opportunities exist to get involved in clinical outcomes, basic science and device development research. Institutional support exists for Houston Methodist residents who routinely present annually at local, regional and national conferences.
  • Pre-intern Bootcamp

    Pre-intern Bootcamp

    This course, for medical students who have matched into integrated vascular surgery residencies, is designed to ease the transition from medical school to a vascular surgery residency. Medical students will learn skills which will allow them to excel on the floor and in the OR starting their first day. This course covers a three-day period, during which time the attendees will have lectures on vascular anatomy, exposures, endovascular basics, vascular ultrasound, wound care, and note writing/charting. Additionally, there are multiple practical sessions to teach endovascular skills and vascular suturing technique.

     

  • Weekly Didactics and Conferences

    Weekly Didactics and Conferences

    Each week, there are multiple mornings which are set aside for resident education in the form of didactics, conferences, case planning meetings, M&M sessions, and mock orals. The didactics sessions comprise of Vascular Surgical Core modules and other resources and follow a question based structure in preparation for the yearly VSITE examination. On Thursday mornings, our weekly case conference is held. These presentations, which are put together and presented by a trainee, review the decision making taken prior to operative intervention and include a recorded, de-identified video of the surgical procedure. All of the morning meetings are resident run and moderated by faculty, with the goal of establishing fundamental knowledge, situational application, and continuous improvement for the best possible in vascular surgical patient care. We strive to harbor an open environment of discussion and education.

     

    Additionally, journal club is held once a month at an offsite local venue and covers two recent journal articles.


  • Vascular Surgical Training Association of Houston (VaSTAH)

    Vascular Surgical Training Association of Houston (VaSTAH)

    VaSTAH is a bi-annual cadaver workshop for the integrated vascular residents and fellows with the purpose of teaching common vascular exposure anatomy and techniques. As the trainee progresses, the level of exposures taught becomes more advanced. Typically, VaSTAH spans two days, with the first day dedicated to faculty teaching the exposures and the second day consisting of a practical examination in which the trainee exposes a vessel without assistance. Examples of important exposures covered in VaSTAH workshops include below/above knee popliteal, femoral, axillary, carotid, vertebral, aortic, and mesenteric vessels. 
  • Vascular Surgery Workshops

    Vascular Surgery Workshops

    Hands on training and simulation lab workshops are frequently held in order to give trainees practical experience in common vascular skills and increase the comfort level in the operating room. Examples of these workshops include an endovascular sheep lab to demonstrate IVC filter placement and retrieval, a closure device workshop sponsored by industry, sessions covering correct ultrasound technique, and a ruptured AAA skills course. 
  • Cardiovascular Fellows' Bootcamp

    Cardiovascular Fellows' Bootcamp

    The CV Fellows' Bootcamp is a weekend course held annually in August. Hundreds of vascular surgery, vascular medicine, interventional radiology, and interventional cardiology fellows attend this training course. Boot Camp provides two days of expert-led lectures on the fundamentals of cardiovascular disease and management, and a one-day of hands-on training. The guiding principles for this course are “Teach broadly. Teach early. Teach basics.” The vascular surgery track offers expert-led interactive lectures that are complemented with hands-on training, including demonstrations of ultrasound-guided access, dissection and exposures on cadavers, and open vascular and endovascular surgical training. The Friday sessions features intensive hands-on training at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), with two tracks (cardiology and vascular surgery) to allow specialty-specific training. This is an excellent opportunity to network, consolidate skills, and pick up tips, tricks and nuances. 
  • Pumps & Pipes

    Pumps & Pipes

    A unique annual conference that brings together technological giants based in the city of Houston representing medicine, energy and aerospace sectors. Through this partnership between Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, NASA and others, researchers delve into the complex technological problems facing each of those industries and see what’s in “the other guy’s toolkit”. The goal of this problem-focused forum is to promote cross-industry collaboration and transfer of knowledge and technological know-how between industries. Pumps & Pipes was co-founded by Alan Lumsden, MD, chair of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Residents are encouraged to attend and participate if they are able.

     

  • DeBakey Cardiovascular Education

    DeBakey Cardiovascular Education

    Building on Dr. Michael E. DeBakey's commitment to excellence in education, Houston Methodist's DeBakey CV Education is an epicenter for cardiovascular academic and clinical educational programs that support the provision of optimal care to patients suffering from cardiovascular conditions and diseases. One of the highlights of Debakey CV Education is our Youtube channel, which features hundreds of in-depth surgical videos created by the trainees and faculty, advanced lectures on the latest cardiovascular topics, interviews, and much more. The channel now has over 85,000 subscribers and over 13,000,000 views.

     

  • Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, & Education (MITIE)

    Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, & Education (MITIE)

    MITIE is one of the most advanced clinical training facilities in the world, and provides a space for health care professionals to acquire new skills and industry partners to showcase new devices. The facility has a large procedural skills area where cadaveric and animal simulation labs can take place, as well as other suites containing a 1.5T MRI, CT scanner, and hybrid OR suite for research and education purposes. The goal of MITIE is to improve patient safety through these educational pursuits and to conduct research on skills acquisition and technological development. This is the location of many of the vascular program's workshops and simulations labs.

     

    Take a virtual tour of this cutting edge facility by clicking here.

Eligibility & Application

Thank you for your interest in the integrated vascular surgery residency program at Houston Methodist.

Application Process

Residency applications and required documentation must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service(ERAS).


Interview Dates 2025 - 2026


01/16/2026
01/30/2026


Please note that the interviews for 2025 - 2026 will be held in-person. 

Criteria

Applicants for residency must have graduated from medical school and meet at least one of the following criteria: 

 

  • Graduates of medical schools in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
  • Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada or graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school who meet the following qualifications:
    • Hold a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
    • Holds a J-1 Visa or is a US citizen, a naturalized US citizen or permanent resident

Responsibility

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

 

  • Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
  • Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

Materials

The documentation listed below must be submitted with the application: 

 

  • Medical school academic transcript
  • Curriculum vitae
  • USMLE/COMLEX scores
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal Statement

Interview Selection Process

Invitations to interview at Houston Methodist for positions in the integrated vascular surgery residency will be sent via e-mail. Interview spots at each date are limited and prompt responses are appreciated. 

Get in Touch

Program Contact

Sandra Vale
Program Coordinator
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: svale@houstonmethodist.org 

Program Director

Eric K. Peden, MD
Program Director
6550 Fannin St., Smith
Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: ekpeden@houstonmethodist.org


Maham Rahimi, MD, PhD, RPVI
Associate Program Director
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: mrahimi@houstonmethodist.org 

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